Bush just announced Elias Zerhouni as the new director of NIH. Zerhouni is a bigshot at Johns Hopkins. I guess NIH funding to Hopkins will increase dramatically in the next few years. 🙂
Funny last time I checked RO1 and the K series funding was done by committees (not by the director), I think Hopkins will get funding based on the excellent research they do, as well as the many other individuals who do excellent research!!!
Especially since the new surgeon general (Richard Carmona) is apparently a badass... SWAT team member, Vietnam Vet, trauma surgeon, Harlem-born, high school dropout, etc.